I’ve been using LinkedIn, and advising people on how to use it, for 10 years.

I use it to find phone numbers or email addresses, to check out business contacts I’ve just met or I’m about to meet, to search for topics I’m researching, to check my dashboard and/or to post comments and content (including cross-posting content to my Twitter account).

In my opinion as a business advisor, if you have a LinkedIn profile,  you should customise your LinkedIn public profile URL so your profile looks more professional, and so it can be found more easily by people with whom you want to connect.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CUSTOMISE YOUR LINKEDIN PUBLIC PROFILE URL

• As in the example below of my LinkedIn profile, go to your LinkedIn profile by clicking on your profile photo on the top right of the menu bar on the Home page and choose ‘View profile’.

• Click on ‘Edit public profile & URL’ on the right side of the page

 

 

 

• Navigate to the ‘Edit URL’ section on top right and click on the pencil icon by your current URL e.g. www.linkedin.com/in/paulineroche

 

 

 

• Customise your URL by overwriting what’s there, including deleting the numbers which LinkedIn automatically adds when you sign up e.g. yourname.

Hint: If your name has already been taken by another LinkedIn member, use a middle name or initial to personalise yours.

Note: Your LinkedIn custom URL must contain 5-30 letters or numbers. LinkedIn does not allow you to use spaces, symbols, or special characters.

• Save your new public profile URL by clicking on the SAVE button.

Note: You can change your URL up to 5 times within 6 months, but changing it may make it more difficult for people to find you.

NEXT STEPS

• Add your customised LinkedIn URL to your email signature, and any other places where it might be useful e.g. on your business card and/or on your website.

• If you like, let me know what you think of this tip, and if you have any other questions about LinkedIn.